Tale as Old as Time
by DarylDixon'sgirl1985
Summary: Beauty and the Beast!AU. Oliver Wood is a spoiled rotten prince who makes the mistake of being rude to the disguised prince of the Weasley kingdom. But what happens when Prince Fred curses Oliver to be a beast until he can find someone to love and love him in return? Will Oliver find love with his new prisoner, or will be stuck as a horrible beast for the rest of his life?


**Hey everyone. This story was brought to you by Northern Funfair's Do You Wanna Build a Snowman?, Southern Funfair's Magical Mistletoe, Eastern Funfair's Yuletide, Magical Literature assignment, Pinata Club on Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Also Winter Bingo on Monthly Challenges for All.**

**Northern Funfair's Do You Wanna Build a Snowman?: The Bottom Snowball, (character) Oliver Wood**

**Southern Funfair's Magical Mistletoe: (Pairing) Oliver Wood/Lee Jordan**

**Eastern Funfair's Yuletide: Decorating (AU) Beauty and the Beast**

**Magical Literature assignment: Task 7 Babbity Rabbity, Write a story set in a castle or another noble location.**

**Pinata Club: Medium Trio Era**

**Winter Bingo: 4D (Fire/Torch/Candle), word count is 1,746 words.**

**Warning for out of character to fit the AU. I hope you all enjoy Tale as Old as Time.**

There once was a prince from a small kingdom in the realm of Hogsmeade called Oliver. Oliver had everything that he could ever wish for, but the prince was spoiled beyond belief. He thought that everything was due to him and he never thought to give of himself to anyone.

So it came to pass the king of the castle held a ball to celebrate the young prince's twenty first birthday. All the lords and ladies of the kingdom were invited to come and dance and feast with their king and prince.

The feast was in mid-swing when the incident occurred. There was a knock at the door and one of the footmen answered it to reveal a twisted old wizard standing on the door. The man was invited in, of course, to prince Oliver's detest.

"Why do you bring this old man before me?" Oliver asked the footman, as he the old man bowed before the prince. "What does he bring for me but disease?"

The old wizard raised his eyes to watch the younger one. There was a mischievous smile playing across the face of the older wizard. "I do not mean to bother the young prince," he said weakly. "I was only wondering if I could have but a crust of bread and drink before I continue on my way home?"

Prince Oliver laughed heartily. "You want me to give you some of my feast?" he looked at the gathered all the other guests before breaking into laughter. "Are you kidding me?"

"I am only a weak old man looking for a bit of food," the older wizard said, seeing that the younger one wasn't going to give in and relent.

"I should serve you before my own guests?" Oliver asked, raising his eyebrows at the older gentlemen. "That wouldn't be right."

"Then you could let me stay and enjoy the feast…."

"Take this one and chuck him out onto the street," the Prince called out to his guards. He chuckled as he watched the man be drug away. "Continue."

He watched as the revelers dance and talked and had all sorts of fun. _The nerve of that old beggar thinking he'd get some of my feast, _Oliver thought as he glared towards the door. _Why should I do anything for him. I don't even know him._

The prince was lost in his musing as his brown eyes stared stormily towards the door. So lost in his thoughts was he that he didn't even hear the knock on the door. Or for that matter the approach of the footman and the unwanted guest again.

"Sir," the footman said, breaking the silence.

"What is this person doing back here? I told you to get rid of him ..."

"I will be on my way if you let me give you a present first," the old wizened man said. "I was going to…."

"What could you give me that I would want anyway?"

The old man turned from the prince his form changing to that of a handsome young wizard with red hair and mischievous eyes.

Oliver's mouth hung open. As he realized that the wizard standing in front of him wasn't an old beggar but one the prince's from a neighboring kingdom. The Weasley kingdom was known for their ability to show mercy. Perhaps if he begged mercy this one would allow it.

"I didn't know who you wer…"

"Of course you didn't," Fred said, with a sad smile. "That was the way it was supposed to be. If you were kind and merciful your kingdom would be found to be the perfect ally for us. But seeing as you weren't you must prove yourself a good ally."

"What does that even mean?" Oliver asked panicked. "What's going on here?"

Oliver watched as fur sprouted all over his body, the panic rising to a fever pitch. His finger elongated and the nails grew longer. His teeth turned into that of some sort of beast. He looked fearfully at Fred of the Weasley kingdom.

"What have you done to me?" he roared, fear and anger coloring his voice. "Why am I covered in fur?"

"I have turned you into a beast," Fred said matter of factly. "So that the outside matches the inside."

"How do I undo it?"

"You must find love with someone and have that someone return your love before the petals of this rose are spent. Then you and all your servants will return to your human forms."

"Human forms?" He watched as Fred walked off with a small wave. "Excuse me. Human forms?"

Years later in a small village of Hogsmeade, there lived a young man called Lee Jordan. Lee was the son of the towns inventor, who most considered crazy. But Lee loved the old man more than anything in the world. Which is why he grew concerned when his father didn't return from a trip to the next town over. Something must have gone wrong in transit and his father must be out there somewhere cold and alone.

Gathering a few items and taking the family horse, Lee saddled up and went off in search of his father. It wasn't long until Lee came to the run down old castle where saw that his father's horse stood chewing on the grass of the lawn out of the castle.

"Father must be here," Lee mused to himself, jumping off the horse and tying it next to his father's. "I'll be right back with father," he told the horses, moving towards the castle. The old building gave off a forbidding vibe. Something in him screamed to turn back and run away, but his father was in there. He needed to help his father.

"Hello," Lee called out, as he opened the door and walked in.

The fireplace nearby was lit and the fire within was crackling and sending off warmth into the entire room. Not to far into the room lying on the floor was his father's favorite blue cloak. He picked it up to feel it was still warm.

"Where are you father?" he asked, seeing the footprints of his father's boots on the floor leading out of the room. "Let's follow the footsteps."

Following the footsteps, Lee found himself walking through the dining room that looked like it was set up from a party. The footsteps stopped in the dining room but there were signs of a struggle. Someone was drug out the room going towards the west.

Lee continued to follow the marks of struggle and being drug through the dreary ruined part of the castle. He was starting to become afraid that something bad had happened to his father here. That he'd find his father dead or something, but that wasn't what happened.

"Lee, get out of here," his father called as soon as Lee stepped foot into the dungeon where the older man was being held. "He's a beast. The owner of the castle he's ..."

"Who are you?" roared a male voice from the darkness of the hallway from the west. "Who are you and what are you doing here?"

"I'm Lee Jordan," Lee said, hoping his voice wouldn't betray the fear he was feeling. "This my dad. I came here looking to return home with him."

"Your father is a thief," Prince Oliver said, watching the handsome man as he knelt down next to his father. "He stole some food from my table and is going to stay here as my prisoner."

"He's an old man. He'll die here."

"So be it."

"Take me instead of him. I'll be your prisoner and you can let my father go."

"Lee don't," his father cried out.

"You'd stay here in return for your father's freedom?" Oliver asked in wonder. He was starting to really like this young man, and it didn't hurt that he wasn't that bad looking of a man. "You'd promise to stay in my castle and do whatever I ask of you?"

Lee nodded. "As long as my father can go free," he said.

"Fine," Oliver said, opening the cell and dragging Lee's father out of the cell. "Off with you," he roared at Lee's father. "Don't let me see you here again."

Lee watched as the figure stalked off into the building. Something about this being intrigued him. Lee walked over to his father and pulled him into a hug. He didn't know when the next time he'd be seeing his father was.

As Lee watched his father walked out of the castle he felt something big was going to happen to them. Something he couldn't put his finger on. Then he heard the shuffling.

"Hello," he called out. "Who's there?"

"Come with me," Oliver's voice said. "I'll take you to your room."

"But I'm a prisoner. Shouldn't I stay here in the dungeons?"

"Do you want to?"

"Of course not. But I kind of figured that's the way it worked in these sort of places." Lee tried to get a good look at the man he was talking to. But he couldn't really see any features as the man stayed beyond the light's touch. "Why don't you come into the light and let me see who you are?"

"You wouldn't like what yous saw," Oliver said, walking ahead of Lee down the hall. "This east side of the castle is yours to do whatever you like with."

"Really?" Lee asked, in shock. He'd never had an entire side of a place before. The home he shared with his father was much too small to do so.

"Yes. But the only thing I ask of you is that you stay out of the west side of the castle. That is my side." He stopped outside of a door and pointed at it. "This room is yours. Dinner will be at six and you are to be there promptly."

"But what if I don't want to go," Lee asked the retreating back of the man who held him captive. "What if I don't want to eat with the prison warden?"

"Then you starve," Oliver called back. "Dinner will be at six promptly. Be there or you won't eat at all."  
With that said he stormed off, confused at why this boy wouldn't want to eat with him. He also felt a connection with Lee Jordan. Maybe this boy from the village could be his handsome prince and break the horrible curse on the castle. Maybe.

**I hope you all enjoyed Tale as Old as Time as much I enjoyed writing it. **


End file.
